A relentless stalker left a young woman terrified after sending her threatening messages and showing up at her work unannounced during a horrific two-year ordeal.
Kyriakos Loizou moved from Cyprus to Newcastle in 2019 to start University and soon crossed paths with his victim. He began bombarding her with messages when she was 18, including one sinister message saying: "Your boyfriend hasn’t kept you safe from hunters like me."
Despite repeated requests for him to leave her alone, the student continued his terrifying campaign and even created new social media accounts under false names to send her messages when she had blocked him. The victim's dad even warned him to leave his daughter alone.
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However, he later sent messages to her complaining "this is not how I wanted to meet your father for the first time." When the victim bravely told university staff what was happening, a warning was issued to Loizou, and police were subsequently contacted when he chose to ignore them.
Officers subsequently carried out enquiries to locate him - finding him in one of the spots he would frequent when trying to see his victim – and he was taken into custody.
However, Loizou was released on bail, but re-arrested the very next day after sending a lengthy voice message to a group chat he knew his victim was a member of – threatening her with legal action if she refused to drop the charges against him.
The menace was remanded in custody, later pleading guilty to witness intimidation at Newcastle Magistrates Court on January 11 where he was sentenced to 12 weeks imprisonment and given a two-year restraining order.
But in February, just a month after he was released, he approached his victim after a chance meeting in the street near her home, sparking a fresh arrest.
Loizou, of, Pandon Bank, Newcastle, appeared back at that same court earlier this month where he admitted Stalking Involving Fear of Serious Alarm or Distress. He is due to be sentenced later this year.
During proceedings, a statement written by his victim was read out in court outlining the horrific toll the ordeal has had on her mental and physical health.
It read: "I have had strong feelings of depression which has had a significant impact on my life overall. Strong feelings of low moods and anxiousness have had a detrimental impact on my ability to focus on my studies, work life, and personal life. One year ago, it became clear that the stalking was going to persist and as a result extended my feelings of depression.
"Sleep has also become very difficult as I struggle to relax enough to go to sleep and on multiple occasions have experienced vivid nightmares in which involve my stalker."
Speaking after the hearing, PC David Bowley, the officer in charge of the case reaffirmed the Force’s commitment to protecting vulnerable victims.
He said: "Loizou subjected his victim to an horrific ordeal causing her mental and physical health to suffer because of his persistent, obstinate, and obsessive actions.
"I am pleased he has admitted his guilt before the court, and await his sentencing. Our criminal justice system takes offences like stalking seriously and sees the threat people like Loizou pose to their victims.
"No one should ever have to go through something like this, and I would like to commend the bravery and courage shown by the victim throughout these proceedings, and during what was an incredibly distressing time. I hope today’s sentencing can bring her some closure as she now begins a new chapter of her life.
"As a Force, we will do all we can to support victims of stalking and harassment and bring perpetrators to justice. With the support of our partners in the criminal justice system, we will continue to put offenders before the courts, support victims, and tackle this type of abhorrent criminality."
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